The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Hospitals to have community kitchens

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 18, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Hospitals to have community kitchens

Staff Reporter

All it takes is Rs. 5 per hour for using gas stove as MNJ cancer centre throws open the facility for benefit of attendants of patients Rasoi ghar inaugurated at cancer centre

NO GAS THIS!: Attendants of patients in MNJ Cancer Hospital using HP gas for cooking in Hyderabad on Tuesday. - Photo: K. Ramesh Babu

HYDERABAD: The Government is planning to establish community kitchens (Rasoi Ghar) with LPG facility in its hospitals for the benefit of attendants of patients to cook their food on gas stoves, according to the Principal Secretary of Health, I.V. Subba Rao. He inaugurated the HP Gas rasoi ghar at the MNJ Institute of Oncology and Regional Cancer Centre here on Tuesday. The rasoi ghar, the first such effort in a hospital in the twin cities, facilitates provision for cooking gas stoves and gas cylinders installed in the hospital.

Infrastructure

The Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) has provided infrastructure. Eight stoves have been installed in the kitchen where family members of patients can cook food. A sum of Rs. 5 will be charged for using the gas stove for an hour.

A hotelier, Babu Rao, has come forward to bear the cost of usage of the LPG gas by attendants.

Dr. Subba Rao told The Hindu that it was often noticed in hospitals that patients and their attendants used firewood or kerosene to cook their daily meal on the hospital premises. By providing LPG connection on nominal rates, the attendants cook their meal fast.

The attendant need not invest any amount on infrastructure but only pay for the gas used.

Plans were afoot to extend the concept to other hospitals in the State. Already, the district headquarters hospital at Nizamabad had been provided such facility.

Dr. Subba Rao said a decision to open more such kitchens would be taken soon. After discussing the issue with heads of Government hospitals, suitable accommodation would be provided to install LPG connections.

The Institute director, B.N. Rao, and the Regional Manager, HPCL, V.R. Saxena, were present. There was a mad rush by patients' attendants to use the facility.

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